


Feverishly Overworking

by HiddenSt0rms



Category: Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood & Manga
Genre: Backrubs, Bathing/Washing, Coughing, Domestic Fluff, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Established Relationship, Exhaustion, F/M, Fever, Fluff, Humor, Hurt/Comfort, Living Together, Nausea, Overworking, Romantic Comedy, Romantic Fluff, Royai - Freeform, Sick Roy Mustang, Sickfic, Steamy but not explicit, Stress, Whump, for the sake of the fic they're together and live together boom, no rules in the military
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-22
Updated: 2020-03-22
Packaged: 2021-02-28 23:46:48
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,681
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23255659
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HiddenSt0rms/pseuds/HiddenSt0rms
Summary: As a result of overworking and stress, Roy comes down with the flu. Riza is there to give him TLC, but not without guilt on his part.
Relationships: Riza Hawkeye/Roy Mustang
Comments: 10
Kudos: 124





	Feverishly Overworking

**Author's Note:**

> Emeto warning.

    

It was late when Roy was greeted by Hayate at the door. It was Riza’s day off, and she stood up from the couch and her book when she heard the door close.

  


“I was starting to get worried. Did you manage to get all your paperwork done without me?” Riza said, a playful glint in her eyes. Her smile faltered when she caught sight of how exhausted Roy looked. There were deep dark circles beneath glazed eyes that lacked their usual fire.

  


Roy shook his head, taking off his jacket and putting his things away. “I didn’t finish it all.” His voice was impaired by a slight roughness, something that only those close to him could pick up on. He cleared his throat. “I’ll have to come in early tomorrow to get it all done. I really hate paperwork.” He groaned.

  


“With all due respect, sir, perhaps you wouldn’t have so much to do if you didn’t wait until the last minute.” Riza teased.

  


Rather than eagerly saying a comeback, one that was usually too elaborate to be spontaneous, Roy remained quiet. “Yeah.”

  


“Come on,” Riza said, pulling Roy’s arm. “I have dinner saved for you.”

  


“Okay.” Roy said in a daze. He took a seat at the table as Riza heated up the food. It took him a minute to realize it when the plate was placed in front of him. Riza sighed and wrapped him in a hug from behind.

  


“You’re going to run yourself ragged if you don’t rest every once in a while.” Riza said into his ear. She hugged a little tighter. “I’ve never seen you so caught up in work like this. It’s a bit unusual.”

  


Roy cleared his throat. “That’s because I wasn’t so close. I can slack at other times. Not when it could cost me my dream. ” He said, and cleared his throat again.

  


Riza understood what he was close to, his dream of becoming Fuhrer. 

  


“I understand. But it’s a proven fact that days off boost productivity and professionalism. And if _you_ don’t decide to take them, your body will _for_ you.”

  


Roy laughed lightly at the seemingly rehearsed comment. “Have you been waiting to say that?”

  


Riza paused. She’d thought she’d been sneaky when paying extra attention to Roy lately. She’d noticed that he’d been clipping his sleep schedule in favor of the paperwork that always built up at inopportune times. He’d also been taking more than usual impromptu naps in his private office, and always stirred out of them with a longing expression, like he wanted nothing more than to go back to sleep. Roy wasn’t the natural type to push himself to these levels unless in a dire situation, so becoming Fuhrer must have been dire to him.

  


“You know I’m right.” Was all Riza could think to say, and that was all she really needed to convey her observations.

  


“Always, Lieutenant. What would I know?”

  


“Correct answer.” Riza tried to move away from the hug so Roy could actually eat, but he pulled her back in. 

  


“Don’t go. You’re warm.” Roy whined, and Riza could only imagine how the others at work would react to such a childish side of their Colonel.

  


“You’re needier than Black Hayate.” Riza said, and like clockwork, the dog strode over to his master obediently. She’d trained him too well. “If you’re cold, I’ll draw a hot bath.” It was more of a statement than suggestion. She gave Hayate a pat on the head. “Make sure he eats, alright?”

  


“Really. You’re assigning the dog to babysit me.” Roy stared deadpan. 

  


“Someone around here has to. I’m busy.” Riza waved him off and headed down the hall.

  


~

  


Roy dramatically grumbled about the domestic act of taking a bath and how “he’d die if anyone saw him doing this,” but when Riza volunteered to join him, he gave no more complaints. But he soon realized that all the carrying on had been unnecessary.

  


Riza never half-assed anything, and even the simple act of bathing was no exception. The water was the perfect temperature; warm enough to feel like a giant hug, yet not too hot to be suffocating. She at least refrained from adding bubbles so he could wash in his own soap and not smell like flowers as a commanding officer, though she found the image amusing. Roy relaxed at how the water massaged his sore muscles and finally got him warm. It was a welcome change from the unusually cold office.

  


Unfortunately, these wonderful feelings wouldn’t last. Roy shivered upon leaving the humid atmosphere of the bathroom and put on his warmest pajamas, though they didn’t help much. And with no more warm water, the soreness in his muscles returned and even progressed into aches. He’d never been happier to climb into bed with a glass of ice water to coat his dry and now scratchy throat. Perhaps the steam had done more harm than good.

  


Riza pulled her pajama shirt over her head and looked over Roy. “I take it your throat’s bothering you.”

  


Roy was a bit taken back. “Why would you say that?” 

  


“You’ve been clearing your throat a lot.” Riza said, maybe to herself, and she disappeared for a few minutes. But when she came back, she discovered that Roy had already fallen asleep beneath a pile of blankets. She guessed she could drink the hot tea herself and settled into bed, though not without nudging her share of the blankets onto Roy. It wasn’t nearly cold enough to need them all.

  


~

  


When Roy didn’t wake up from the first alarm, Riza thought nothing of it. He did this every morning. When he hit snooze for the second time, Riza still didn’t worry. He loved to wait until the last minute for everything, waking up included. The third time raised an eyebrow, but he did seem overly exhausted the night before, so she let it go.

  


But when Riza returned from her morning walk with Hayate and the Colonel was still submerged in the covers, her brow pinched in concern. At this rate, he’d barely have time for a good breakfast, and that always made his high priority list. She gently shook his shoulder. “Roy, you need to get up. Now that we’re living together, you can’t sneak past me when you’re late. I’ll always know.”

  


Roy had the same longing expression at being awoken from his naps, only amplified. For someone that slept so long, he didn’t look well-rested at all. His pallid face had even darker eye bags and a rosy flush coated his cheeks. He sat up and hunched over with his pounding head in his hands. 

  


Going to sleep while feeling under the weather is always a gamble of waking up either completely better or completely worse, and Roy had evidently lost that gamble. He was sure that even his bones ached, and even without chills actively racking down his spine, he still didn’t feel like he was at a comfortable temperature. The headache wasn’t the only new symptom, either. His sinuses felt stuffed and his sore throat now extended through his jawline. 

  


“Good morning, Lieutenant.” Roy could barely get the words out, and he muffled several coughs into his sleeve to get his voice back. “What a sight to wake up to.” He attempted to sound sultry, but he sounded hoarse and congested instead.

  


“You don’t sound or look well at all.” Riza said worriedly. She cupped her hand around Roy’s cheek and it was immediately batted away, but that was all she needed to register the heat.

  


“I’m afraid you’ll have to wait. We don’t have time until after work.” Roy’s flirting was cut short by another round of coughing. 

  


Riza rolled her eyes at the antic. “You’ve got a fever. Stay there.” She demanded.

  


Roy waited for Riza to leave...

  


As Riza rummaged through the bathroom’s medicine cabinet, she felt something soft grapevining between her legs and whimpering. Hayate knew from memory that whenever Riza opened that drawer, she was either sick or hurt.

  


“It’s not me.” Riza said kindly, looking down. “Roy’s not feeling well,” She sighed as she located the thermometer. “And this won’t be easy.”

  


And sure enough when Riza returned to their bedroom, Roy was (somehow) up on his feet, fumbling with the buttons of his uniform in front of the mirror.

  


“Roy - “

  


“I’m fine. Since it’s my turn to cook, what do you want for breakfast?” Roy tried to sound casual. 

  


“No offense, but I wouldn’t want you cooking for me right now.”

  


“Aw come on, I’m not that bad of a chef.” Roy said with a forced laugh that turned into another string of coughs.

  


Riza sighed again. There was no possible way Roy was oblivious to what she’d actually meant by that. It was as if he was trying to mess with her at this point, yet his face did seem determined to make it through the day. 

  


Riza went over and started unbuttoning Roy’s uniform. He looked at her quizzically, then she said with a sly smile: “You missed a button. Two, actually.”

  


“Oh. I was wondering what happened.” Roy said.

  


It was true; the buttons looked like the work of a drunk, but that had just been an excuse. Roy watched in confusion as Riza didn’t redo the buttons, but rather removed the jacket completely.

  


“My my, is someone eager. Like I - ” Roy was cut off by a pajama shirt handed in his direction.

  


“Don’t make me do this the hard way.” Riza said, resting a hand on the gun in her back pocket.

  


Roy smirked. “You’re pretty feisty for the morning. My answer is yes, no need for the gun.”

  


“Cut it out, Colonel.” Riza said, tone serious. “You’re clearly ill. Go back to bed and stay home. I’ll fill out your sick leave paperwork.”

  


Roy’s playful expression dropped. He knew this was coming. “Alright, alright, Lieutenant. I may have come down with a cold or something, but - “

  


“But you have a fever, which means you need to be in bed before you get the entire office sick.” Riza said, and her eyes narrowed so intensely that Roy put on the new shirt and got back into bed on autopilot. He watched in terror as Riza reached and pulled something out of her back pocket, but relaxed when it was only a thermometer. Figuring it was better than to risk the former, Roy complied. 

  


When Hayate saw the obviously sick Roy, he jumped onto the bed and into Roy’s lap, whimpering with his tail tucked between his legs. 

  


“Black Hayate, no. Get down.” Riza ordered, yet Hayate (timidly) whined in protest. 

  


“He’s okay. He’s just stubborn.” Riza said, petting Hayate’s head and earning a scowl from the man himself. “Let’s see what it says.” Riza took the thermometer and held it to the light. “101.6. Some medicine would do you good. Make sure he stays in bed, okay pup?”

  


“You’re really making the dog babysit me _again_.”

  


“Better get used to it.”

  


Roy watched Riza leave before trying to get up, but Hayate growled. 

  


“Damn smart dog.” Roy grumbled.

  


When Riza came back, she had a bottle of medicine and some other things. She measured a capful and held it to Roy. “Liquid medicine absorbs faster than pills.”

  


Roy grimaced. Even Hayate seemed disgusted at the smell of the artificial cherry flavoring. “I’ll pass.”

  


“What are you, a child? Man up already.”

  


“I’m not even that sick, alright?” Roy insisted lamely. 

  


Riza sighed. “I’m not arguing with you on this.” She reached into her back pocket while Roy was distracted.

  


“How about I wait and see if the fever goes down on its own? It might, you never know. And even if it doesn’t, pills taste much better - “

  


Roy shrieked at the sound of sudden gunshots eerily close to his ears. Once he realized that he _wasn’t dead,_ his eyes lit up with anger. “What the actual hell? Are you trying to kill me?”  
  


“Relax, I only fired blanks. I have the decency to not actually shoot inside our home,” Riza said casually, putting the gun away and cocking a smile. “But you won’t be defying me anymore, now will you?”

  


“You’re psychotic, you know that?” Roy muttered, then tossed back the dumb medicine with a groan. “It’s so nasty.” 

  


“You’ll live.” Riza said, handing Roy the glass of water. He downed it to rid the taste from his tongue.

  


“I don’t know if I will with you taking care of me.”

  


Riza set the mug of hot tea and the cool cloth on the bedside table. “I should be getting off at normal time, but I’ll call you if that changes. And you call me if you need anything, got it? And you are to rest and rest only. Those are both orders, Colonel.” She said, and just as she was leaving, a low voice cut her off.

  
“I can’t do this.”

  


Riza turned around to see Roy nearly pouting. “Don’t be so overdramatic. You’re in good company.” 

  


“Yes. A dog pinning me down all day is just what I need.” 

  


There was another layer hidden beneath Roy’s sarcasm, and Riza realized how pitiful the Flame Alchemist truly was. Stuffed up and feverish, buried in blankets and misery, in defeat of both his body and partner. Riza could’ve said “I told you your body would decide when you’d take a break. I told you so.” 

  


She didn’t.

  


“I find it a little ironic that you’d be so against getting out of work, even with a perfectly good reason.” Riza said, though it was more of a question of why he was so upset.

  


Roy’s thoughts were painted on his face. 

  


“You know this isn’t going to keep you from becoming Fuhrer, right? It’s one day.” Riza glanced at the clock. She’d be late. She didn’t care.

  


“A lot can happen in one day.” Roy muttered. “It’s not just that. I can’t sit idle at a time like this. There’s too much at stake with the possible treason within the military. I couldn’t stand to see something happen because I wasn’t there.” 

  


“It feels like getting caught in the rain, right?”

  


“...right.”

“Whatever happens, you can always catch up later. You’re not thinking straight, Roy. You need to go to sleep and not worry about anything right now. Then you’ll be well and well-rested for tomorrow’s work.” Riza said. 

  


That last sentence finally spoke to Roy’s heart. He finally relaxed. “Thank you, Lieutenant.” 

  


Riza kissed Roy on the forehead and gave a gentle warning. “Be good.”

  


“Exactly. No more growling at me.” Roy glared at the dog.

  


“You too, Hayate.” Riza called on her way out. She could only imagine the frustration on Roy’s face.

  


~

  


When Riza returned, she was pleased to find the apartment quiet. That would explain why Roy hadn’t called all day. He’d been asleep.

  


Then she heard the telltale sound of retching. 

  


Riza quickly set her bags on the counter and hurried to the bathroom, and her heart sank. Roy was sitting in front of the toilet, face flushed and taking deep breaths. His hair was disheveled and stuck to his forehead. Hayate had his head in Roy’s lap, who didn’t seem to mind. Too busy staring into the bowl with a look of misery.

  


“Roy…” Riza said, rubbing Roy’s back. The shirt was soaked with sweat and she could feel the heat of his skin.

  


He said nothing, not that he could, and heaved.

  


“Can I get you anything?” Riza asked.

  


“No thanks, I’m fine.” Roy said instinctively.

  


“You sure? I can run out and get something that should settle your stomach.” Riza pressed on.

  


“No, that’s not necessary.“ Roy thought for a moment. “Can I have some water, maybe?” The request felt strange coming out of Roy’s mouth. He wasn’t used to _asking_ for help. He was better at subtly accepting it.

  


A glass was soon nudged into Roy’s hands. He took extremely slow sips. It did good for his burning throat, but it made his insides feel even queasier. He threw his head back into the toilet and went into another round. Riza’s hand never left his back.

  


Once Roy was finally done, Riza flushed the toilet and knelt down beside him. “Is this the first time you threw up?” 

  


“...second.” Roy admitted.

  


“Has Hayate been taking good care of you?” Riza asked with a smile.

  


“Yes. My hero.” Roy said weakly, resting his cheek against the cool seat. It was disappointing that he was this kind of sick now. Nausea meant that this was more than a normal cold pushed too far. He probably had the flu and would be out of work tomorrow too, maybe even the rest of the week.

  


“How was your day?” Roy asked, trying to change the subject. 

  


Riza rubbed Roy’s back as she talked. “Boring. It wasn’t the same chasing the others around to do their work, which I had to do.”

  


Roy perked up a bit. “Oh really?”

  


“Everyone got freaked out when I told them you were ill. I had to explain that you weren’t dying, though I don’t think Fuery ever fully believed me. For men, they can be pretty melodramatic.”

  


“Sounds about right.”

  


“Then Havoc tried to leave early for what he called a special assignment that you’d supposedly assigned, but judging from his eyes, I think he had a date.”

  


“What’d you do?”

  


“All I had to do was rest my hand on my gun and he scurried back to his desk.”

  


“And the others?”

  


“Like herding sheep.”

  


Roy huffed out a strained laugh, trying not to stir his stomach around too much. “You deal with a lot.”

  


“And they’re still technically _your_ subordinates.”

  


Roy saddened. They were. They were Roy’s responsibility and he hadn’t even shown up to work, leaving Riza to deal with them all on herself. Maybe it was the fever talking, but guilt swarmed Roy’s heart. Riza truly dealt with a lot all day at work, and now with him like this, at home as well. “I’m fine here.” He blurted out.

  


“You want me to leave you alone?” 

  


“No, no, I mean,” Roy forced his aching head to gather his thoughts. “You’ve had a long day. Go relax or something.”

  


“I will after dinner. I stopped at the marketplace and got some ingredients for soup.” Riza said, standing up.

  


“You did?”

  


“I also got some more medicine at the drugstore. We were almost out of cough syrup and we didn’t have lozenges, and you sounded like you needed them.”

  


“You didn’t have to, you know.” There was a new fire in Roy’s eyes, one never before seen. But Riza figured she would find out about it later.

  


Roy was quiet as Riza left.

  


~

  


Roy insisted he could eat at the table. He’d rather not risk spilling hot soup in their bed, and besides, he didn’t want Riza to have to eat alone.

  


The chicken soup was doing wonders for Roy’s sore throat and congestion. He just made sure to sip it slowly. He didn’t want to spend the night in the bathroom as well. His face creased after only half the bowl was gone. He rested his head in his fist, lazily stirring the soup around with his spoon.

  


“If you can’t finish it, we can save it for later. It’s not a problem.” Riza noted, taking another sip from her own bowl, but Roy didn’t even nod in response. “Roy? Is everything alright?”

  


“Thank you,” He said suddenly, the way someone does after they’ve been rehearsing a conversation in their mind a while. “You know, for taking care of me and everything.”

  


Riza smiled. “Of course. I know you’d do the same for me if I was this sick.”

  


“Yeah, but…” Roy trailed off and tried to translate his thoughts into words. “Not only for this, but in general. You’ve been looking after me through this entire promotion chase.”

  


Riza reached out and held Roy’s hand, giving it a gentle squeeze. “Like I said, I know you’d do the same for me if it was me in your position.”

  


“I can’t help but feel guilty sometimes, you know…”

  


“I do not,” Riza said. “I’m afraid I’m not a mindreader.”

  


“You take care of so many things all the time...that’s all.” Roy stopped his speech and turned his gaze back to his bowl. 

  


“You’re not a burden.” Riza finally said, putting it all in words. “I don’t only see you as one of my work responsibilities. And being sick doesn’t change that.”

  


Roy looked up, heart overwhelmed with warmth and relief.

  


“That’s how these things work,” Riza went on. “I help you when you need it, and you help me when I need it. You’re just the one that needs help right now. Just because my time isn’t here right now, it doesn’t mean that you’re doing any less. It’s just not my time.”

  


“Are you somehow implying that relationships are alchemy? Equivalent exchange?” Roy asked in a mixture of amusement, disbelief, and awe. “Smart woman.”

  


“Precisely.”

  


They sat in a comfortable silence until Roy had an idea. “Can we have another bath?” He inquired, glint of passion in his eyes.

  


“I thought you didn’t like baths. Need I remind you of your tantrum last night?”

  


“It was far from a tantrum,” Roy said defensively. “And that was before, you know, you joined...”

  


“If it’ll make you feel better…” Riza drawled, though she was smiling too.

  


“It will. Much better than that medicine earlier.” Roy instantly regretted the poor choice of words.

  


“Speaking of, did you take more while I was at work?”

  


“...”

  


_“Roy.”_

  


“No bath until you take your medicine.”

  


“Fine.” Roy mumbled, and on his way out, playfully leaned into Riza. “You’d make a great mother.”

  


Riza contemplated the words, then her smile grew. “Go before I change my mind.”

  


~

  


And what Riza said about equivalent exchange turned out to be true when she came down with the flu a week later. 

  
  
  
  
  
  



End file.
